Weaning?

     I mentioned in my last post that I had weaned Reiner. This is kind of a tough post to write (I feel like it some kind of secret or something), it's such a mixed emotion sort of topic.

     When I was pregnant, I just assumed that I would formula feed. I wasn't really interested in breastfeeding, no reason why. But as I got closer to my due date, I started pricing things out, and there were so many different products on the market that it was overwhelming. Which one is good? Is it the best? Will he like it? blah blah blah...

     I was quickly back to the idea of breastfeeding. In the beginning it was really convenient, and cost effective for sure! I would recommend breastfeeding to any mom in a heart beat. I really would! It's such a wonderful bonding experience- that I didn't fully understand until I tried it myself. There's something really cool about being able to sustain life like that. When he was born, I said to myself, "Let's try to make it through 6 months." and I did. He was a fabulous feeder, and I had a great supply.

      Which is why the decision was so hard to make to switch to formula. It's been wonderful to be able to wear my clothes again post-preg (after being too big for them last year), but by the time he was 6 months- I was getting so sick of having to choose every outfit around being able to feed him in public.

QUICK NOTE: We started feeding him formula while he was being babysat once he started solids at 4 months (Pumping was just getting to be too much).

     We had him on the SIMILAC ADVANCE while we were out, and he liked it. We had a couple of sample cans that I had been sent while I was pregnant. I started trying to give him those kinds over the last week (here and there), and he would not take the bottle at all. I was so torn (it really was an emotional thing to figure out). Jared said to buy some of the kind that he liked originally and try that- which was a really good idea. He took to it right away (I also bought a different kind of nipple for the bottles, they're a lot softer and more flexible). He's been on the SIMILAC ADVANCE for 6 days now.

     I loved breastfeeding, it was such a good experience (like I said above), I'm pretty sure I cried to Jared a few times about how guilty I felt that I wanted to "quit". It might sound stupid, but I really felt like I was giving up for selfish reasons. Which I kind of am right? I really just want to wear sundresses, and not have to dress in layers- or have only ONE bra that I wear endlessly. I'm SICK of wearing breastpads (couldn't go 5 minutes without them it seemed, I was leaking ALL the time). I just feel like someone who wants to BF and can't will be judging this post because I had a perfectly good supply, and I'm just letting it dry up.

     I have to hand it to any mom who makes it the full year. PROPS to you. That takes a lot of dedication. I think the other reasons I'm feeling sad are the hormones that I am sure are still flinging around my body. Also that this first (almost) 7 months have FLOWN by so quickly. This is just another thing that reminds me he's only going to be my LITTLE boy for a short time.

     I guess I don't really have much advice in this post? But I hope it helps you feel less alone if you're thinking of weaning your little one and feeling bad about it. Whenever I have my next little one, I definitely want to BF for the first 6 months again, and then see how I feel from there. The way I see it is "every little bit counts". If you breastfeed even 1 day, that's better than not a all right? (Maybe? I don't know).




Also- if you don't want to breastfeed, that's fine too, no judgement at all. 

Good Days, and Bad Days

     These last couple weeks have been ROUGH! OOooooh the sleep deprivation (poor Jared, gets the worst of it). He cut his first top tooth about two weeks ago- noooot a fun night at all, my poor little baby. These ones are DEFINITELY worse than the bottom ones (which he didn't even seem to notice). His second top one broke skin this morning. He also has a bit of a cold, and I recently weaned him... so I'm sure that played a bit of a roll as well.

     He felt a little warm when we woke up this morning, I took his temp (armpit), and it was like the eeeenciest bit of a fever- I gave him some tylenol and we cuddled for a bit. I thought it was to do with his teething, so we met up with Aubs and Otis for coffee at William's. He was pretty good while we were out (I could barely get him to eat all day, he just didn't seem to want anything). He was just really sleepy. I walked around the mall after we had coffee and he napped in the stroller. I waited for him to wake up before we went home because I wanted him to have a nice long sleep if he needed it.

     I'm thinking he may have a little bug along with this teething business, but I guess we will know in the morning? He finally finished his bottle and I laid him down. It's so sad to see my little man so upset- he's usually SUCH a happy guy, barely cries at all. The weather was pretty crap today too (rainy and damp). I've been using AMBESOL on his gums (he hates it when I put it in his mouth- and I understand why, it feels awful. I hate when my mouth is frozen lol), it definitely eases his discomfort. Around 8 tonight he started to feel warm again, and I think his teeth (tooth?) are still bothering him, but I don't know how fevers/teething works? He didn't seem to have a fever at all with the first two... and I can't remember if he felt hot or not when he got his first upper.

     Anywhoo, I gave him another dose of tylenol before he went to bed tonight, hoping it will cool him down. He definitely had a fever this time (not high, but more than this morning). He usually loves his baths, but tonight he was in and out pretty quick. He just isn't himself. Hopefully tomorrow will be better- planning on just staying home and cuddling with my boy.

     It's not super late yet, I'm hoping that we get some sleep tonight, but I'm sure that's wishful thinking! These teeth are just throwing everything out of whack! I would love to get him into sleeping AT LEAST 6 hour stretches, but that seems to be a lost cause these days. 

Advice for New Moms! BREAST FEEDING!

     Some moms have a great breastfeeding experience, others, a really trying experience. Fortunately for me, I was in the "relatively" easy boat. He latched right away, and we were off to a great start.

     BUT, I'm not saying there were no bumps along the way. When your milk first comes in, IT HURTS! My boobs were swollen up to my collar bone, and into my arm pits. They almost looked "square shaped" because they were SO full, there was no where for the milk to go (Pre-preg I was not so well endowed lol). I was in so much pain for the first couple days (until my body regulated to how much Reiner needed). This is normal, and will pass (if you get a fever along with breast pain- call your Dr., it could be MASTITIS).

     Breastfeeding itself shouldn't "hurt". Your nipples may feel a slight burning/pinchy sensation when baby first latches, but they should subside within a few seconds to a minute. Remember to put nipple cream on after every feed! It will save you from cracked nipples. I used the Aleva Naturals brand (it was very soothing). You'll only need to do this for a few weeks, you'll notice they aren't sore anymore. ALSO- make sure that your baby is getting all/as much of the areola in their mouth when feeding. Having a proper latch is key to a good breastfeeding experience, they can drain the milk ducts properly, and your nipples won't feel like they're being ripped off. 

     Sometimes, nipples can be tricky- and this is something I haven't experienced first hand. I have done a lot of reading though, and heard from friends, that inverted nipples can cause a lot of stress. Try nipple shields to help pull them out, and then let baby re-latch to you. My one side was just slightly inverted pre-preg, but isn't anymore. You can also try using a breast pump to pull out the inverted nipple, and then let baby latch on that way. 

     Be sure to check baby for a tongue tie if you're still having problems with latch. If they're tongue is tied too close to the front of the mouth, they don't have the same capabilities to latch on, as a baby without tongue tie. This will result in a shallow latch, and most likely, nipple pain.

     Some ladies are worried that their baby is not getting enough to eat. As long as they are growing and gaining, they're fine. Your doctor will let you know if they aren't gaining fast enough. Remember not to put newborns on a feeding schedule. They are tiny, and their bellies are even tinier! They need to eat many times a day. Sometimes they will feed every hour! At times, Reiner would eat every couple of hours, and would suck off and on for the better part of an hour! Keep a book, or your favourite tv show, or cell phone nearby to pass the time. 

     If you're having trouble with the latch- keep trying! If you end up bottle feeding, and then go back to breast, your baby may get fussy. This is okay, just keep trying. It's takes a lot less effort to draw milk from a bottle than your body. Babies and get frustrated that it's not coming out fast enough. They will learn if you keep calm and patient, and keep putting them on. 

     Same goes with "upping" your supply. As your baby grows, your body may seem like it's not producing enough. You may have to have a "couch" day, just lay with your little one all day, and let them feed as often as they want. This will help to build up how much your body needs to produce. You're body reacts to BABY- so missing feeds, and supplementing with formula is not going to help your situation.

     Remember that you can't be "empty", as your body is constantly making milk. Your milk will start slowing down after the original let-down, but is never OUT. Even after a half hour feed, you can squeeze your nipple, and more will come out. Sometimes babies will get frustrated by this, but your body will adapt to baby's needs. Drink lots of water throughout the day as well, I've noticed this also affects my supply. 

*Side note: Remember to be as calm as possible while feeding. I've noticed that if I'm feeling stressed out, I don't let down as quickly- and Reiner will get frustrated. I just close my eyes, and take a few deep breaths. I swear almost instantaneously, my milk lets down. It really works!

     Be sure to ask your hospital who they recommend for Lactation Consultants, or check out local L.L.L. in your area. Hopefully, this post was helpful! 

Advice for New Moms!

     Originally, I thought I'd cover all of the topics I have in mind - in one post. After starting to jot down ideas, it became apparent that I should split them up into separate posts (saving you from the longest post of the YEAR! lol).

     I don't have fifteen children running around my house, nor have I been a mother for very long. But, that may be helpful since these things are still fresh in my mind- and not candy coated/forgotten/buried under years of love for my child(ren). I really wanted to share my thoughts/experiences thus far (4 months into this MOMMY thing). Whenever I pictured having kids, I had this "don't sweat the small stuff" attitude- which I still strongly agree with!

     It's very easy, early on, to let things get to you. The crying (that seems never ending at times), sleep deprivation, and life change in general are enough to throw you for a loop! Try to stay calm, remind yourself that this is just a phase and you and your little baby are both learning new ways of life :). He's only four months old, and I feel like time is flying so quickly!

     There are so many websites out there warning you of this or that. I swear sometimes, it seems like a bunch of grumpy old ladies who want to scare the unsuspecting newcomer. There's also a lot of conflicting information! DO what YOU feel is right. I know that may sound pretty straight forward, but after receiving butt loads of unwarranted advice, you need to do what is right for your family. You may have an overbearing MIL, or mother... maybe a sister/in law who has ten kids and "THIS IS WHAT SHE DID". You'll even get comments from complete strangers sometimes. I've lost count of how many times I've heard, "You just wait!...(insert snide remark about kids being horrible)". You're going to have people disagree with you, no matter what stance you take on parenting. As long as you and your spouse are on the same wavelength... that's all that matters. I mean, people have been around for thousands of years, clearly we've been doing SOMETHING right.

     These posts aren't here to be judgmental to those who do things differently, they're simply things that have  worked/been working for me, and my family. I got a few ideas for the topics from other websites, but these are strictly my opinions on how to deal with them.

Baby Bullet!

It's only about a week off from Reiner being four months old- but he's been making movements with his mouth, like he wants to eat. Watching us more intently at dinner, and holding his head up isn't a problem at all. We had some avocado in the fridge, so I mushed it up in a spoon with water and let him taste it off my finger. He seemed a little unsure of the new flavour :), but he ate the whole teaspoon! He was even leaning in toward the little spoon! I'm so proud of my boy :)

So even though I don't have the official "go ahead" from the Dr., I decided to go ahead and make some baby food. The baby bullet is so cool! I can't wait to make cereal with it too! I blended up some avocados, and also some bananas. I decided those were the first things I'd start him on :)

There is so much information out there "Feed this" "not that" "this first" yadda yadda... So I've decided to follow the guidelines in the baby bullet recipe book. I'm pretty excited about making his food, because I'll know that it's all natural, and there aren't any fillers or crap in it. Plus!, it's really inexpensive to make it yourself. I know it'll take a little longer once I start making the veggies that need to be cooked first, but what's an extra ten minutes?

Once he's eating a variety of things, I can making bigger batches and freeze a months' worth at a time. I also have a bunch of freezer bags from when I was pumping, so I'm planning on using them to freeze the food (the tray only holds 6 portions at a time, and there are 6 mini jars). Tomorrow morning will be his irst real meal!!! :) (Well "meal" lol)

Night night!